Non-Hodgkin lymphoma during pregnancy

Management of Hematologic Malignancies: Special Considerations in Pregnant Women

The diagnosis and management of hematologic malignancy during pregnancy is a significant challenge. This is due to both medical and ethical considerations regarding when and how to treat this special sub-group of patients. Recurring uncertainties remain around appropriate imaging techniques, timing and dosage of chemotherapy, and timing of delivery. In this article we examine and summarize current literature in this field to assist physicians in their understanding and management of this patient group. Special attention has been given to diagnostic and staging procedures, risks associated with chemotherapy at different stages of gestation, and chemotherapy-dose adaption during pregnancy. In addition, recommended guidelines for management of lymphoma, leukemia, and planning delivery are discussed. A multidisciplinary team approach is critical for patient care, as is shared decision making with the patient and family.

Haematological problems in obstetrics

Physiologic changes occur during pregnancy, which influence normal haematologic values and impact the diagnosis and management of haematologic disease in pregnancy. Physiologic changes of pregnancy also commonly lead to mimicking symptoms of haematologic disease that may prompt investigations for haematologic disease. The toxicity and radiation associated with the diagnostic imaging and pharmacologic management of both benign and malignant haematological conditions during pregnancy present unique challenges. Strategies for diagnosis and treatment must weigh the benefits and risks to the mother while also taking foetal outcome into consideration. In this review, we highlight the common haematologic diseases encountered by obstetricians and try to provide guidance for the most prevalent diagnostic and therapeutic questions. At the other end of the spectrum, we also comment on less common but very challenging haematologic diseases in pregnancy that require multidisciplinary effort to arrive at difficult individual diagnostic and treatment decisions.

Obstetrical, fetal and postnatal effects of gestational antiblastic chemotherapy: how to counsel cancer patients

At least one in a thousand pregnancies is complicated by cancer and, as the maternal age at pregnancy increases, numbers are growing. If chemotherapy cannot be postponed, both doctors and patients face complex medical and ethical issues. There is a conflict between optimal maternal therapy and fetal wellbeing. Treatment during the first trimester increases the risk of congenital malformations, spontaneous abortions and fetal death. Second and third trimester exposure is less risky, but it can cause intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight. Other effects on pregnancy after the first trimester include premature birth, stillbirth, impaired functional development, myocardial toxicity and myelosuppression. Counseling and management of these cases are difficult, because literature is mostly represented by case reports or retrospective series while randomized prospective studies or guidelines are lacking. Moreover, personal experience is often scanty due to the rarity of the condition. This article reviews the available data regarding the different aspects of systemic treatment of cancer during pregnancy to help oncologist and obstetricians in counseling their patients and treat them accordingly.

Management of hematological malignancies during pregnancy

The management of hematological malignancies during pregnancy is a challenging endeavor, which not only requires technical skills and knowledge by the clinicians but also requires sound clinical judgment and compassion, keeping in mind the patient and family preferences and, ultimately, the wellbeing of the neonate. The incidence of hematological malignancies during pregnancy is rare, ranging from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 deliveries, impeding the design and execution of large prospective studies. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the limited existing data and make useful suggestions in the management of acute and chronic leukemias, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, plasma cell myeloma, and other hematological malignancies, such as myelodysplastic syndromes and hairy cell leukemia, during pregnancy.

Hematologic Malignancies in Pregnancy

Hematologic malignancies complicating pregnancy are uncommon, but a delay in diagnosis or treatment can mean the difference between life and death. It is the responsibility of the obstetrician, nurse-midwife, or nurse practitioner to maintain a high index of suspicion when patients present with unexplained lymphadenopathy or protracted constitutional symptoms. Management of these patients requires a multifaceted team from the oncology, pediatrics, and obstetrics services. With most hematologic cancers now requiring multiagent chemotherapy for optimal survival, the patient, her family, and her physicians are often faced with what seems to be a Faustian dilemma. Most infants exposed in utero to multiagent chemotherapy, however, seem to suffer no long-term detrimental consequences.